The present invention relates to transport system and particularly to a transport system for recreational vehicles which includes recreational facilities for individuals on board.
In these days of fuel shortages, the recreational vehicle industry has experienced considerable difficulty after having achieved great heights of popularity in recent years. Recreational vehicles have found great acceptance as an economical and fun way to vacation and to tour the country. Furthermore, such vehicles ideally complement the trend to more outdoor living. Due to these factors, they are particularly attractive to families with children. It is naturally anticipated that owners will want to continue to use their vehicles and individuals will still purchase new vehicles despite the current "Energy Crisis" but the cost and lack of fuel has created uncertainty leading to severe problems for the industry.
It has also been noted that "auto-train" arrangements have been booming in popularity, and the only present drawback to further growth appears to be a lack of capacity. This service appears to have proven that individuals dislike driving over great distances when an alternative means of transportation is available, provided, however, they have auto transportation when they arrive. Many individuals also prefer using their own vehicles at their destination both from a personal and a cost standpoint.
The prior art includes U.S. Pat. 3,320,918 to Zalejski which pertains to a mortorized barge or the like which accommodates a plurality of vehicles. The patent discloses specifically a barge which serves as a parking lot and is adapted to be transported over a waterway to a more or less central mooring location. U.S. Pat. No. 3,335,437 to Judkins and U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,644 to Bradt disclose water vehicles which are adapted to receive and support pick-up truck type campers for recreational activity. Also of interest are U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,700,153 to Bradley, 3,335,436 to Sharp and 3,599,589 to Busey. The aforementioned patents are merely intended to be representative of the art in the general area of the present invention and are not intended to comprise an all inclusive list of such prior art.